Prepared by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth

Background

Youth face greater challenges today than ever before.  In many places, their opportunities are limited by poverty, prejudice, abuse, or neglect.  Despite the hardships many young people face, they are surprisingly resilient and respond quickly to positive intervention.  Communities across the country, therefore, have developed programs to meet the needs of young people and to help strengthen families.

What You Can Do

You can help young people, their families, and communities by becoming involved in direct services through local community-based programs or by advocating for improved public policy on youth and family issues.

If you would like to volunteer at a local youth-serving organization, you could. . .

• Become a mentor or tutor for young people at your local youth service agency.
  
• Volunteer on a local hotline for youth who need assistance.
  
• Offer your professional expertise to local runaway shelters or other organizations serving youth. Attorneys might provide pro bono legal guidance; health professionals can sponsor health and hygiene seminars.
  
• Encourage your company to "adopt" a local youth service agency. Company employees can sponsor a resource bank at work, collecting food, clothing, furniture, and other supplies for donation to local runaway or homeless shelters; offer graphic design and printing services to produce invitations or volunteer award certificates; or host special events for young people.

If you would like to promote improved public policy on youth and family issues, you could. . .

• Form networks of regional or local businesses, schools, and religious organizations to support the advocacy work of youth service agencies.
  
• Call or write your local elected officials, political candidates, and policymakers, and encourage them to begin an informed dialog about strategies for helping young people in at-risk environments.
  
• Ask the executive director of your local youth service agency how you can best support their efforts to develop or improve youth and family policies.
  
• Attend local community meetings to generate support for positive approaches to youth issues.
  
• Host a forum where local youth-serving agencies and young people share ideas about howpolicymakers can create policies for strengthening communities.
  
• Ask your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to call or write media outlets to encourage coverage of youth issues that is reasoned and responsible, and offers solutions.